Monday, December 1, 2014

From a speech by US Rep. Mike Thompson of California, September 21, 2011, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the winery. This speech contains some interesting facts of note in California wine history, including references to the phylloxera outbreak; his pioneering use of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Merlot varieties; and to Robert Mondavi, who began his career there and later left to form his own wine-making concern.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in
recognition of Charles Krug Winery, Napa Valley's oldest and most
historic wine-making establishment, and among the region's most highly
acclaimed and admired firms. Charles Krug will be celebrating its 150th
anniversary this year and in so doing will salute the century and a half
of rich traditions and extraordinary wines cultivated under the
esteemed brand.

In its long, storied history, Charles Krug has played host to
and benefitted greatly from the hard work and immense accomplishments of
some of the most famous and brilliant Wine Country luminaries. Among
them were founder Charles Krug himself, Robert Mondavi, proprietor Peter
Mondavi, Sr., and the current winemakers, brothers Peter, Jr., and Marc
Mondavi. Today, the winery produces a line of super-premium and reserve
wines, all made with estate-grown, sustainably farmed fruit from each
of Napa
Valley's esteemed sub-appellations: St. Helena, Cameros, Howell Mountain
and Yountville.

Charles Krug was the first outfit in the Napa Valley to
implement a handful of revolutionary techniques and technologies
including the use of the cider press in 1858, the differentiation of
product labels by vintage and varietal, the use of glass-lined tanks and
the use of French oak barrels in 1963. The winery's estate vineyards
have also been the sites of some historic innovations in the field of
viticulture. Krug was the first vintner to purchase and develop vineyard
land in the Howell Mountain
area of Napa Valley. Peter Mondavi, Sr., avoided a costly replanting of
the winery's vineyards when he bucked industry and rejected
recommendations to plant the AXR1 rootstock, which was later found to be
vulnerable to industry-ravaging phylloxera damage.

More impressive
still, he was among the first vintners to develop vineyards in and
around Carneros, demonstrating that Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Merlot
wines made from the grapes of this sub-appellation could reach high
standards of quality.

Though Charles Krug Winery emerged as an early leader in the
Napa Valley wine community, the company's commitment to serving the
greater needs of the industry has always been a constant. Krug founded
the St. Helena Viticultural Society in 1875, and assisted shortly
thereafter with the establishment of the Napa and Sonoma Wine Company, a
collaborative effort between producers to improve the quality of wine
shipped to the East Coast. Today, after a century and a half's worth of
work, the Charles
Krug brand retains its place as one of the premier winemaking
establishments in the Napa Valley region with a portfolio of wines that
compete with the highest ranks of the national and international arenas.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate at this time for us to
congratulate and applaud the proprietors and staff of Charles Krug
Winery for their outstanding and ongoing work, embodying and
representing some of the best that Napa Valley and California have to
offer.